A. Wesley Burks, MD
Dr. A. Wesley Burks is Executive Dean for the UNC School of Medicine. In this role he assists the UNC Dean and Health Care CEO Dr. William L. Roper in providing overall academic leadership for the School of Medicine and the UNC Health Care System, working in close partnership with the leadership of the School of Medicine and the Health Care System. He is also the Curnen Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and the Physician in Chief of the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Dr. Burks joined the UNC system in November 2011.
Dr. Burks’ research interests are in the allergic diseases, particularly adverse reactions to foods. Dr. Burks’ heads a research team whose work centers on the molecular identification of the allergens in specific foods, a better understanding of the mechanism of adverse food reactions, and the development of treatment for food allergy in animal models and in clinical studies. Dr. Burks and his colleagues have several ongoing clinical studies with different types of mucosal immunotherapy. His laboratory funding comes from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health and private foundations. Dr. Burks has been published in many distinguished journals and has authored or coauthored numerous articles, chapters and abstracts. He is a past Chair and member of the NIH Hypersensitivity, Autoimmune, and Immune-mediated Diseases study section and is Past President of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
Dr. Burks graduated from the University of Central Arkansas and then the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed a pediatric residency at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Burks subsequently completed a fellowship in allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center. He was previously on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Duke University Medical Center.

Hooper is an international expert in child neuropsychology with much of his research, clinical activity, and community outreach devoted to developmental disabilities. He joined the UNC faculty in 1987 and has held his current position since 2013.

In her role as Senior Advisor to the Executive Dean, Katie Eimers works closely with Wesley Burks, MD, on various projects at the School of Medicine, while also coordinating several operational efforts.